FLYING SQUIRRELS · SPECIES PROFILE

Mentawai Flying Squirrel

Iomys sipora

EndangeredDETAILED REFERENCE
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Body lengthUnknown
Tail lengthUnknown
WeightUnknown
Activitynocturnal arboreal glider
ConservationEndangered
Countries / regionIndonesia
01

Classification & Current Taxonomy

KingdomAnimalia
PhylumChordata
ClassMammalia
OrderRodentia
FamilySciuridae
SubfamilySciurinae
TribePteromyini
GenusIomys
SpeciesIomys sipora
MDD taxon ID1001634

Current MDD recognizes this as a living species in tribe Pteromyini.

02 · DISTRIBUTION

Where it occurs

Current MDD country distribution: Indonesia.

Country-level distribution is a broad map, not a claim that the species occurs throughout every listed country.

02 · HABITAT

Where it lives

Current MDD country distribution: Indonesia. Species-specific forest type, elevation limits and microhabitat use are not fully summarized here. Genus context: Sundaic tropical forest and wooded habitat.

03

Shelter, Nest & Resting Sites

Species-specific den and nest data: Unknown. Genus context: arboreal den sites; exact nest detail varies. This is context, not a substitute for direct observations of Mentawai Flying Squirrel.

RANGE & HABITAT CONTEXT

Compare form, setting and structure

Related flying squirrels help break up the reference while showing how habitat, body form and movement can vary across the broader group.

Hose’s Pygmy Flying Squirrel — related flying squirrel visual context
RELATED FLYING SQUIRRELHose’s Pygmy Flying SquirrelPetaurillus hosei — related group reference for visual comparison; not Mentawai Flying Squirrel.(c) Zhang Xiaojie, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC) · CC-BY-NC · VIEW SOURCE ↗
White-bellied Giant Flying Squirrel — related flying squirrel visual context
RELATED FLYING SQUIRRELWhite-bellied Giant Flying SquirrelPetaurista albiventer — related group reference for visual comparison; not Mentawai Flying Squirrel.(c) Rohit Chakravarty, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA) · CC-BY-NC-SA · VIEW SOURCE ↗
04

Identification & Physical Profile

Body lengthUnknown
Tail lengthUnknown
WeightUnknown
AppearanceSpecies-specific adult measurements and diagnostic pelage details are not yet sufficiently standardized in available species-specific references. Genus context: Iomys is a small-to-medium flying-squirrel lineage; exact field identification should use locality, measurements and current taxonomic references together.

Species-specific adult measurements and diagnostic pelage details are not yet sufficiently standardized in available species-specific references. Genus context: Iomys is a small-to-medium flying-squirrel lineage; exact field identification should use locality, measurements and current taxonomic references together.

05

Gliding Anatomy & Locomotion

As a member of Pteromyini, this species uses a furred patagium between the fore- and hind limbs for controlled gliding. Wrist-supported membrane anatomy and the tail contribute to lift, steering, braking and landing. Species-specific maximum glide distance: Unknown.

Pteromyini context: Flying squirrels glide rather than perform powered flight. The patagium creates an aerodynamic surface, specialized wrist structures help support that surface, and the flattened or bushy tail contributes to stability and control.

06

Behavior, Activity & Communication

Activity: nocturnal arboreal glider

Social system: Unknown at species-specific detail.

Communication: Unknown at species-specific detail. Flying squirrels also use scent, posture and acoustic signals, but a species-specific repertoire is not assigned without direct evidence.

BEHAVIOR & FORAGING CONTEXT

Keep behavior connected to the animal

These are related flying squirrels, not photographs of Mentawai Flying Squirrel. Use them as visual context for locomotion, posture, feeding and environmental use.

Red-and-white Giant Flying Squirrel — related flying squirrel visual context
RELATED FLYING SQUIRRELRed-and-white Giant Flying SquirrelPetaurista alborufus — related group reference for visual comparison; not Mentawai Flying Squirrel.(c) 武亦乾 Yiqian Wu, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC) · CC-BY-NC · VIEW SOURCE ↗
Gray-headed Giant Flying Squirrel — related flying squirrel visual context
RELATED FLYING SQUIRRELGray-headed Giant Flying SquirrelPetaurista caniceps — related group reference for visual comparison; not Mentawai Flying Squirrel.(c) Ralf Bürglin, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC) · CC-BY-NC · VIEW SOURCE ↗
07

Diet & Foraging

Species-specific diet: Unknown or incompletely documented in available references. Genus context: plant foods and other forest resources; exact species-specific diet is incompletely documented.

Unknown
08

Reproduction & Development

Breeding seasonUnknown
GestationUnknown
Litter sizeUnknown
DevelopmentUnknown

Unknown values remain explicit. Reproductive figures from related flying squirrels are not silently substituted for this species.

09 · LONGEVITY

Lifespan

Unknown

09 · PREDATORS

Predation & Risk

Species-specific predator list: Unknown. Flying squirrels are broadly preyed on by nocturnal raptors, snakes and mammalian carnivores, with the exact predator community depending on region.

10

Ecology & Ecosystem Role

Species-specific ecological role is incompletely documented. Genus context: forest consumer and prey species within Sundaic ecosystems.

GROUP DIVERSITY

See the wider group around this species

Squirrels in the same broad group can look and live very differently. These credited references provide comparison without changing the facts for Mentawai Flying Squirrel.

Spotted Giant Flying Squirrel — related flying squirrel visual context
RELATED FLYING SQUIRRELSpotted Giant Flying SquirrelPetaurista elegans — related group reference for visual comparison; not Mentawai Flying Squirrel.(c) matthewkwan, some rights reserved (CC BY-ND) · CC-BY-ND · VIEW SOURCE ↗
Formosan Giant Flying Squirrel — related flying squirrel visual context
RELATED FLYING SQUIRRELFormosan Giant Flying SquirrelPetaurista grandis — related group reference for visual comparison; not Mentawai Flying Squirrel.(c) 謝忠良, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC) · CC-BY-NC · VIEW SOURCE ↗
11

Conservation

CURRENT MDD / IUCN STATUSEndangered

Current MDD status shown above. Species with narrow island or montane distributions can face serious local habitat pressure even when a global assessment is not available.

12

Research Coverage & Unknowns

Natural-history coverage is incomplete. Taxonomy, current country distribution and conservation category are anchored to MDD; unsupported measurements, reproduction and lifespan remain Unknown rather than inferred from relatives.

Genus context: Iomys is a small-to-medium flying-squirrel lineage associated broadly with Sundaic tropical forest and wooded habitat. This is genus-level context where direct species-specific data are missing.

13

References & Further Reading

Taxonomy, distribution and conservation status follow the Mammal Diversity Database.